Curiel, The Italian brand founded in 1908, celebrated a century of fashion during Milan Fashion Week with an exhibition featuring Bonaveri's 2200 Schläppi mannequins.

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Written by Ian Thompson | 25 November 2016

Almost 40 mannequins were supplied for the exhibition where international art curator, Giuseppe Silvestrin staged a one-day event, showcasing the brand’s history and future plans. All the mannequins were finished in a matt black in harmony with the exhibition concept, where visuals and dramatic lighting maximised the focus on the many garments on display.

More than 1,000 guests and clients visited the exhibition, including Lamberto Dini, the former Italian prime minister; Beppe Modenese, the honorary chairman of the Italian Chamber of Fashion and Mario Boselli, the former president of the Italian Fashion Chamber.

Curiel recently formed a new relationship with the Chinese luxury brand management team at Redstone. Zhao Yizheng, founder and president of Redstone worked with Curiel to form a joint venture that aims to promote the brand across Asia and expand into established European countries. The first Curiel studio is to open in Milan in 2016 and a flagship store is planned to open in Shanghai early in 2017. Redstone revealed plans to open further stores in New York, Paris and London.

Zhao Yizheng plans to expand on the brand’s haute couture pedigree, whilst also focusing on demi-couture, a ready-to-wear line of evening dresses and wedding gowns, and the Curiellino line that specialises in classic black dresses. There are also plans to develop a Curiel Baby line.

“Our model is to cooperate with small and medium-sized companies and develop them in China, where the market is bigger and where we have the expertise. After we succeed in China, we will develop them throughout the world.”

– Zhao Yizheng

Curiel is considered one of Italy’s finest Haute Couture houses, with Gigliola Curiel, the first Italian designer to have negotiated exclusive sales rights with New York’s Bergdorf Goodman and London’s Harrods Department Store. Originally founded in Trieste, Gigliola Curiel moved the company to Milan in 1945 where the studio experienced incredible success during the 1950s and 60s. Curiel’s ongoing design pedigree has ensured it’s success up to now, with Redstone now tasked to expand and build on the brands international prestige.